


that hill

by hxlfmoon



Series: yesterday's tears (they're still here) [2]
Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Original Female Character - Freeform, major character death-freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-01-19 01:36:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12400419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hxlfmoon/pseuds/hxlfmoon
Summary: “hey, dad?” jihye looks up at her dad who’s staring at the scenery ahead. he hums, “yes, sweetheart?” "why are we here?" her dad doesn’t answer her, just gives her a sad smile. back then, jihye didn’t bother prodding her dad more about it. but now, she can’t help but wonder what that hill meant to her dad. one day, she thinks, she’ll find out.





	that hill

**Author's Note:**

> why can't i shut up.

“hey, dad?” jihye looks up at her dad who’s staring at the scenery ahead. he hums, “yes, sweetheart?” "why are we here?" her dad doesn’t answer her, just gives her a sad smile. back then, jihye didn’t bother prodding her dad more about it. but now, she can’t help but wonder what that hill meant to her dad. one day, she thinks, she’ll find out.

-

jihye doesn’t know much about her papa. he passed away when she was four, and she only knows bits and pieces from uncle daniel, uncle seongwoo and uncle minhyun who talk about him the most. her dad doesn’t talk about him much.

she’s seen a picture of her papa once, back when she was 9. she had gone to get a bandage for her paper cut when she found it tucked away at the bottom of the first aid kit. she remembers her dad smiling brightly, with a man with messy brown hair who she could only assume to be her papa. when she looked at it, the first thing she thought was how happy they looked in the photo. in fact, it was the happiest she had ever seen her dad. he still smiles of course, but jihye can’t help but notice the emptiness behind it. she stared at her papa. at his warm smile, his arms around her dad’s shoulders. she couldn’t help but feel sad, knowing that her dad’s happiness was taken away from him.

she put the photo back in the first aid kit, taking the bandage she initially came for and returned to her room.

the photo is still there the last time jihye checked. she wonders why her dad would want to keep a photo of her papa hidden away.

-

she knows she shouldn’t ask her dad about the hill. he had always gone stiff whenever she brought it up, quickly changing the subject to something else. and jihye had learnt to go along with it. but it’s been 5 years since her dad took her to that hill, and he hasn’t told her anything. no one can blame her for wanting answers at this point.

all she knows is this. that hill must have something to do with her papa.

jihye asks uncle minhyun about it when they’re at uncle jaehwan’s wedding. Her dad is at the other side of the garden talking with uncle daniel, so she takes her chance. she had always confided in uncle minhyun about things, because unlike her other uncles, he didn’t try to hide things from her. it helped that he was a good listener too. he always seemed to know whenever she had to say something.

“hey… uncle minhyun?” she asks cautiously. uncle minhyun looks up from his slice of cake and smiles at her. “hey, jihye,” he says warmly, “what’s up?” jihye bites her lip. “you know that one hill near kyunghee university?”uncle minhyun hums in acknowledgement, “i do. why are you asking all of a sudden?” “it’s just…” jihye fiddles with her fingers, a habit she always seemed to do when she was nervous. “dad me took me there 5 years ago, and whenever i ask him about that hill he never gives me an answer.” she looks in the direction of her dad, who’s taken to talking with uncle jaehwan and his husband. “i just… I just want to know what that hill meant to him.”

uncle minhyun settles his fork down on his plate. “oh,” he says softly. “so your dad never told you, hm?” jihye shakes her head. “well, you see…” uncle minhyun smiles, but jihye can sense the sadness behind it. “that hill is important to your dad, because that’s where he met your papa.” jihye’s eyes widen, murmuring a soft “oh.” now it was starting to make sense. “your dad used to be shy about singing in public you know,” uncle minhyun says. “he always used to go to that hill whenever he had free time because there he could let loose. sing all he wanted.” he chuckles, “and one day, guess what happened?” “papa found him?” jihye guesses, and uncle minhyun grins. “bingo.”

“so, um… what happened?” jihye asks. “well, if I remember right, your papa came to that hill because he wanted to study, since it was the most peaceful place on campus. but then he saw your dad singing, and let’s just say, well,” uncle minhyun smiles fondly. “your papa was quick to fall in love with your dad’s voice.” jihye cracks a small smile. it was hard not to fall in love with her dad’s singing after all. in a way, she can understand how her papa must have felt. “your papa told him he had a nice voice, and your dad was so flustered he ran away,” uncle minhyun shakes his head, fond smile still present on his face. “i roomed with him back in college, so i had to listen to him freak out over it for a while. the both of them somehow started meeting each other often after that, and after a while i could tell your dad liked him too. it all just started going downhill from there, i suppose.”

uncle minhyun falls silent, staring at his hands folded in his lap as if lost in memories. “you see, jihye,” he says again after a few beats of silence. “that hill is important to your dad not just because he met your papa there, it’s also because that’s where your papa proposed to him. and on top of that,” uncle minhyun bites his lip. “that’s the last place they went together before your papa passed away.”

suddenly everything made sense.

“maybe that’s why your dad hasn’t told you yet,” uncle minhyun says softly. “he probably doesn’t want to feel the pain of remembering every single moment him and your papa shared there.” jihye is silent, and uncle minhyun places a hand on her shoulder. “are you alright, jihye?” he asks gently, and jihye can only nod. “uncle minhyun?” she asks after a while, and he hums.

“did he make dad happy?”

“he really did. he loved your dad a lot, and he’s the reason why your dad can sing confidently on stage now. they made each other happy, jihye, even when everything seemed to be going wrong,” uncle minhyun smiles. “your parents always smiled their brightest when they were with each other even during trying times, and that was what made their love beautiful.”

“i wish i could’ve seen it,” jihye murmurs. “that smile.” “oh, jihye,” uncle minhyun breathes. his arms are warm as they circle around her frame, and jihye relishes the warmth as she thinks about her dad. how bright his smile must have looked when he was with papa.

she wants to see it one day.


End file.
